A concrete pile which usually only acts as a load-transferring element, can also be used as a heat exchanger, enabling heating, cooling and heat storage for the building. Hence the name energy pile.
During the manufacturing phase, a heat transfer pipeline is installed in the pile. This enables heat transfer fluid to circulate inside the energy pile, transferring heat either from the ground or into the ground.
Tekres Auto-Locking Joint enables extension of the concrete pile, as well as the heat transfer pipes according to the required length.
The Earth’s crust is capable of storing energy, and it is the world’s largest battery. Heat can be stored or extracted from the earth’s crust.
By connecting energy piles, which act as energy exchanger, to the building’s heating-cooling system, heat can either be dissipated to or extracted from the ground.
During winter, geothermal energy is extracted from the ground to heat the building with energy piles and a geothermal heat pump. When the temperature of the heat transferring fluid is lower than the temperature of the ground, heat transfers from the ground to the heat transfer fluid, heating it during the flow. The heat transfer fluid heated during the flow enables heating of the building and domestic hot water with a geothermal heat pump.
During summer, the process is reversed, heat from the building is dispelled into the ground via the energy piles. This heat is stored in the ground to be reused in winter, recycling the heat, leading to conservation of energy.
In the summer, ground cooling is used to cool the building. Cooling can be done with a system suitable for a geothermal heat pump.
In summer, the heat contained in the heat transfer fluid is transferred to the ground, so that the fluid cools down when it returns to the fan converter. This solution enables energy efficient cooling during the entire cooling season and heat storage.
TEKRES International, part of the Finland-based TEKRES Group, is your all-in-one partner in green technology, offering specialized steel components for the piling industry and advanced extendable energy pile technology for construction projects.